Gamekeepers Welfare Trust delivering health services for rural workers

In the same month that the Department of Health and Social Care has released its new 10-Year Health Plan for England, acknowledging underperformance in some communities and outlining how the NHS will be reshaped, the Gamekeepers' Welfare Trust (GWT) has shown the community sector is playing a vital role in the delivery of health services. The charity has reported that already this year, it has carried out over 1,000 Health MOTs across the UK – including over 300 on the NGO stand at the Great Yorkshire Show.

The GWT's CEO, Helen MJ Benson, said:

"Access to health care services is harder for rural residents. There are fewer NHS staff per head in our areas, and less availability of services. These are contributing factors to poorer health outcomes for those of us living in rural and coastal communities. There's recognition in the Health Plan for England that one size doesn't fit all and services need to be tailored to meet local need; the goal of working with charities as a way of improving public health is recognition of the importance of work like ours in rural areas."

The GWT launched its Health and Wellbeing Hub in 2022 and the offer has grown enormously. Starting with free, confidential appointments with a nurse on the phone or online, the charity filled a key gap in rural health services by offering appointments at times to suit those in gamekeeping roles, whose work notoriously and routinely crosses into unsociable hours. This offer has been expanded and is now available for anyone in any rural job and their family members.

It's not just rural residents feeling the benefits of the GWT's work. Many of the 1,000 Health MOTs carried out so far in 2025 have been at country shows and fairs, with a good number of general public taking up the offer. Since the Health MOTs launched, there have been serious illnesses picked up and referrals for urgent care.

Having nurses on hand at public events comes in handy if there are incidents on the day. GWT Nurse Janet, who worked at the Great Yorkshire Show in July, says:

"We had two emergencies where I used the blood pressure machine, oxygen and pulse checker, and blood sugar monitor. The doctor that attended to the lady was quite impressed with the equipment we had. This meant I could give him a really good handover and a lot of information about the lady, which was great."

The GWT Health and Wellbeing Hub provides:

• Free, confidential online/phone appointments with a nurse for people in any rural job and their family members

• Free, confidential Health MOTs for anyone at events

• Tealight Nurse Team - support for those in the *gamekeeping community who are caring for a family member, friend or neighbour
• Mobility Hire support for events - GWT will reimburse the cost of mobility chair hire at game fairs for people in the *gamekeeping community 

• Someone in a gamekeeping job - gamekeeper, riverkeeper, ghillie, stalker, guide, boatmen)
• Someone who has retired from a gamekeeping job as above
• Someone who was in a gamekeeping job for some years and has moved into another profession
• The family members of people who are/were in a gamekeeping job (spouses/partners, widows/widowers, children)

   

  
  Notes for Editors:

   

  A free PDF of GWT's Health & Wellbeing Hub poster is online here (we encourage people to put them up in fishing huts, beaters rooms etc).

   

  www.thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com